Welcome to the Monkey House is a collection of Kurt Vonnegut's shorter works. Originally printed in publications as diverse as The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction and The Atlantic Monthly, what these superb stories share is Vonnegut's audacious sense of humor and extraordinary range of creative vision.

Your Likes make Audible better!

Publisher's Summary

Kurt Vonnegut is a master of contemporary American Literature. His black humor, satiric voice, and incomparable imagination first captured America's attention in The Sirens of Titan in 1959 and established him as a "true artist" (The New York Times) with Cat's Cradle in 1963. He is, as Graham Greene has declared, "one of the best living American writers".

Welcome to the Monkey House is a collection of Kurt Vonnegut's shorter works. Originally printed in publications as diverse as The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction and The Atlantic Monthly, what these superb stories share is Vonnegut's audacious sense of humor and extraordinary range of creative vision.

I had read this collection of stories in high school and loved it. When I saw it came out in audio, I snapped it up. It's even better than I remembered it. This collection has it all: from quirky romance to thought-provoking sci-fi to biting (and sometimes hilarious) political satire.

This collection also includes one of the most disturbing short stories I've ever read: the haunting war tale "All the King's Horses".

I found this collection of stories to be both mismatched and bizarre, and enjoyed them thoroughly. If you are looking for Chicken Soup for your Soul ... look elsewhere. If you are looking for a strange collection of short stories that will make think about them hours after listening, then this is for you.

Kurt Vonnegut?s Welcome to the Monkey House is a collection of short stories. Some of the stories are dated material and stories that might require knowledge of current events from the 1960?s to fully understand. This is not the norm for most of the stories. The stories subjects range from science fiction to American humor. I found many of the stories to be delightful, imaginative and laugh out loud funny. This audio book is a good family travel book that can be enjoyed by many listeners but some of the stories may not be appropriate for children under the age of 13 due to subject matter.

In my mind, Kurt Vonnegut is the writerly equivalent to an eccentric, sarcastic, but kindly old uncle, the one you can always count on to take the stuffing out of your more puffed-up, less agile-minded relatives at family Christmas parties, while giving you a sly wink. In an important way, he was a voice for America in the 1950s and 60s, both a counterpoint to and a commenter on "mainstream" attitudes. He could do zaniness, anger, sorrow, and gentleness equally well.

This collection is a fine intro to what made the man great. A few stories fall a little flat, and a few feel dated, but most still resonate in one way or another. In style, they range from memoir to science fiction to allegory to absurd satire to"straight" fiction, which make them interesting as a prismatic breakdown of the eccentric, eclectic voice Vonnegut uses in his longer works. My own favorite story was a poignant piece about a half-black German orphan who encounters a unit of black American GIs in post-WWII Europe, and the friendship he forms with a particular soldier.

Vonnegut was one of the best authors this country every produced. This collection of short stories does not disappoint. My favorite stories within have to be Welcome to the Monkey House and Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow. Tony Roberts is the best of the group of narrators, but they are all great story tellers. Worth the money/credit

This as an absolutely AMAZING collection in one single book."Welcome to the Monkey House" proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that Vonnegut is truly a master of the medium when it comes to the short story.And although this book is under the "Sci-Fi/Fantasy" category on Audible, its genres span almost everything out there. A story set in the distant future will be followed by a playful romantic comedy, in turn followed by dark social satire. It's fantastic.

I honestly cannot recommend this book enough. It is a perfect introduction to Vonnegut as an author for those who aren't familiar with him.

Nearly every one of the many stories in the collection is pure gold, and those that aren't are still good enough that they don't detract from the book's overall impact.

Vonnegut, I think, is required reading to understand the 20th century. These are accessible short stories. For the thoughtful reader, they will engender deep thoughts on morality and the value of patriotism. I don't always agree with Vonnegut, but I always enjoy him.

Vonnegut has an equal imagination to ERB with the social consciousness of Heinlein and the humanity of Assimov. I loved this work and the thing that sets him apart from the aforementioned masters is his macabre sense of humor.

This is an excellent short story collection beautifully performed by several readers.
The sci fi stories are the best ones, but there are more stories about everyday people and situations. Many of the stories conjure up a real feel for the 1950's and 60's, including the Kennedys, Marilyn Monroe, sleezey jazz clubs, teenage rebelion and Cold War paranioa; I am not usually drawn to that kind of thing but this collection had me hooked.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Report Inappropriate Content

If you find this review inappropriate and think it should be removed from our site, let us know. This report will be reviewed by Audible and we will take appropriate action.

Your report has been received. It will be reviewed by Audible and we will take appropriate action.

Can't wait to hear more from this listener?

You can now follow your favorite reviewers on Audible.

When you follow another listener, we'll highlight the books they review, and even email* you a copy of any new reviews they write. You can un-follow a listener at any time to stop receiving their updates.

* If you already opted out of emails from Audible you will still get review emails by the listeners you follow.